Parachute-release safety device



A ril 14, 1931. v B. F. TOFFLEMIRE 1,800,575

7 PARACHUTE RELEASE SAFETY DEVICE V Filed June 22, 1929 5:5 1 5 r 351th I .9 g 3; 915 16 :3:

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. 'IEfic: 04L, ,5 3 INVENTOR. I

15 BENMAM/NK'V'aIJEMIME I v g ay 3Q "F: a 50 1 ATTORNEY PatentedApr. 14, 1931 nmwum I. '20! 0F BERKELEY, camoma PARAOKUTE-BE'LIASE sum DEVICE Application filed June 28, 1988. Serial No. 872,865.

The present'invention relates to improvements 111 release mechanism for parachutes and its principal-object is to provide a release mechanism for a parachute that auto- 5 maticall'y'becomes active a few seconds after the person carryi g the parachute has jumped from the airplane.

A further object of the invention is to provide a release mechanism of the character described which does not require any action on the part of the person carrying the same, except that of j umpin from the airplane.

Another ob'ect of t e invention is to pro- /vide, in com ination with such' automatic release mechanism, means for delaying the release for a few seconds until the person carrying the parachute is absolutely clear of the airplane.

Further objects and advantages of my .20 invention will appear as the specification proceeds. a

I The preferred form of my invention is i1- lustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which v Figure 1 shows .my release mechanism in perspective view;

Figure 2 shows a vertical section therethrough, parallel to the front wall of Figure 1' Figure 3, a horizontal section taken along line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4, a horizontal section taken line 44 of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 an assembly view showing my release mec anism in place en a parachute.

While I have shown only the preferred form of the invention, I wish to, have it understood that various changes or modifications' maybe made within the scope of the claims hereto attached without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In its preferred form, my release mechanism comprises a casing 1 adapted for fastening to a parachute 2 in thev manner indicated in Figure 5. Parachutes, as at present constructe are released by a pull on a rip along 7 a cord, indicated at 3, and atthe present time, it is .customa to let the person using the parachute p the ri cord a few seconds after he has jumped mm the airplane. It

is a well-known fact, however, that in many instances, the person using the parachute is too excited to pull the'rip cord at the proper time and either fails to release the parachute altogether or releases it too soon, which causes the parachute to become tangled up in the airplane itself.

The object of the present invention is to cause the parachute to be released automatically-without any action on the part of the person using the same, and for this purpose, the rip cord 3 is fastened to the end of a rod 4 retractably mounted in the front wall 5 of the casing, the rod 4 being provided on the inside of the casing with a cross head 6 adapted to ride on two bars 7 supported in the front and rear walls of the casing, while springs 8 encircle the bars 7 and bearton the cross head for retracting the rod 4. The latter is normally held in extended position so asto place the springs 8 under compression and to project from the front wall of the casing by means of a trigger 9 pivoted to the front wall, as shown at 10, and having one end 11 en age in a notch 12 in the rod 4, the end 11 emg referably ta ered for this urpose. The ot her arm 13 o the trigger is guided b a suitable clip 14 and has a pin 15 exten in therefrom, which latter may be acted on y a revolvably-mounted arm 16 for releasing the rod 4. The arm 16 is mounted on a shaft 17 supported in the front wall and in two spaced brackets 18 depending from the to 19 of the case. A clock spring 20 has its inner end fastened to the shaft 17 and its outer end to a short parallel shaft 21 supported in the two brackets 18. Associated with the spring is a conventional clock mechanism, including a ratchet 22 fastened on the shaft 17,'a cog wheel 23 loose on the shaft and adapted to be driven by the ratchet 22 by means of a pawl 24, a pinion 25 mounted on another shaft 26 and meshing with the co wheel 23 and havin a second cog wheel fastened thereto, w ich latter has an escapement device 28 associated therewith.

The escapement device is mounted on a shaft 29, which has an arm 30 extending therefrom, and this arm'may-be-held against in a counterclockwise direction, the ratchet 22 turning with the shaft, but leaving the rest of the mechanismunafi'ected, since the pawl 23 slides over the teeth of the ratchet. The

. end of the rod 31 is fastened to a suitable point,

on the airplane and the endof the rod 4 is fastened to the rip cord of the parachute; When the pilot or passenger carrying the parachute jumps off the airplane, the rod 31, which is fastened to the airplane,'is auto-- matically withdrawn and allows the clock mechanism to begin to operate. Thearnr 16 has been set in sucha manner that the required number of seconds will elapse until it strikes the pin 15. When it does strikethe latter in, it causes the trigger 9 to release the r0 4, which is immediately retracted under the influence of the springs 8 and thereb pulls the rip cord for opening the para- -o ute.

that the parachute will I mined time.

It will be noted that this arrangement works entirely automaticall and does not require any act on thepart o the person using the parachute. L r

' The number of seconds that should ela se ed be fastened to the parachute, a rod slid- Y able in a wall of the casing and adapted for.

fastening to the rip cord, two guidebars in the casing, a crosshead on the rod sl'idable on the bars, springs guided by said bars and active on the crosshead, means forholding the rod in extended position whilethe s rings are compressed and a clock'mechanism' or releasing said means at the end of a predetermined period.

3. An automatic time release for a para-- chute having a rip cord or the like for releasing the same comprising a casing ada ted to be fastened to the parachute, a rod sli able in a wall of the casing and adapted for fastening to the rip cord, spring means urging the rod .to draw the rip cor aftrigger on the outside of the casing adapted for engagement with the rod for holding the "same in extended position while the springs are com ressed, a-revolvable arm adapted to actuate t e trigger for releasing the rod and a clock mechanism for operatin the arm.v

BENJ N F. TOFFLEMIRE. v

before the parachute opens may be exactly ev termined and the clock mechanism set so open at the predeter-' I claim:

1, An, automatic time release for a para-' chute having a rip cord or the like for releasing the same comprising a case ada ted to be fastened to the arachute, a rod sli able in a wall of the caslng adapted for fastening to the rip cord, two guide bars in said casing, a cross head on the rod slidable on the bars, springs guided by said bars and active on the cross head, a trlgger on the outside of the .casing adapted fongigagement with the rod for holding the -sa e in extended position while the springs are compressed, a revolvable arm adapted to actuate the trig er for releasing the rod, a clock mechanism r operating the arm, a. second rod extending into the clock mechanism for preventing operation thereof, and means for fastening the second rod to a relatively fixed body whereby the latter rod is withdrawn when the parachute moves relative to said body.

2. An automatic time release for a para- .chute having a rip cord or the like for releasing the same comprising a casing adapt- 

